Apparatus for making toilet articles for personal wear.



J. WILOOX. APPARATUS FOR MAKING TOILET ARTICLES FOR PERSONAL WEAR.APPLICATION FILED APR.18, 1908.

971,71 2., Patented Oct. 4, 19104 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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W; 6 SW J. WILGOX. APPARATUS IOR MAKING TOILET ARTICLES FOB. PERSONALWEAR. APPLICATION FILED APR. 18, 1908. 971,712. Patented 001;.4, 1910.

2 SHEET-S-SHEET 2.

JOSEPH WILCOX, OF ATHOL, MASSACHUSETTS.

APPARATUS FOR MAKING TOILET ARTICLES FOR PERSONAL WEAR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 18, 1908.

Patented Oct. t, 1910.

Serial No. 427,839.

To all whom it may concern:-

Be it known that I, JOSEPH WVILGOX, a citizen of the United States,residing at Athol, in the county of Vorcester and State ofMassachusetts, have invented anew and useful Apparatus for Making ToiletArticles for Personal Year, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an apparatus for making ornamental backs andother parts of combs and similar articles which are formed from sheetsof celluloid, viscoloid, pyroxylin, pyralin, shell, horn, rubber or anyother material from which such articles may be produced.

The principal objects of the invention are to provide a simple andpracticable means for rapidly producing that class of stamped or moldedarticles which are perforated and in which the surfaces of the skeletonbetween the perforations are rounded over so as to produce a pleasingand ornamental effeet; to provide in connection therewith means wherebythe comb blanks may be properly placed in position in the dies withouttaking measurements or trusting to any accuracy of adjustment on thepart of the operator; to provide means for simultaneously curving theblanks when they are be ing molded or embossed; to provide means forforming all these operations substantially simultaneously; and ingeneral to improve and simplify the apparatus for accomplishing theabove mentioned results.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings which show certainforms in which the invention may be carried out and in which,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of one form of apparatus. F 2 is alongitudinal sectional view of the same showing the parts in theposition which they assume when the blank is to be embossed or molded onthe back. Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the embossing or molding die.Fig. l is an elevation partly in section showing another form in whichthe invention may be embodied; Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of anembossing die adapted to be used in connection with the apparatus shownin Fig. 1-, and Fig. 6 is a central view thereof on the line (S6 of Fig.5.

The molding and manipulation of celluloid, pyroxylin, and similarplastic materials, after the same have once been pro duced or molded inthe form of sheets, to

change that form is attended with many difficulties. In the first placeit is well known that the celluloid, as well as kindred substances,tends to return to its original condition, that is, to the flat sheetform in which it was originally produced from a shapeless mass ofplastic material. Even when a flat object is desired it is necessary toprovide for keeping it flat as the heating of the blank sometimes warpsit. Several ways have been devised for attempting to overcome thisnatural tendency of the celluloid, but there are some forms of articleswhich have been produced in a permanent condition only with greatdiiiiculty and somewhat expensive manipulations. One of these forms isthat which is perforated or punched to produce a figure of what may becalled a skeleton form and in which it is desired to provide roundedover edges between the perforations. One of the objects of thisinvention to provide a simple, effective, and convenient means foraccomplishing this result.

According to this invention the results are obtained entirely by meansof dies or stamps which are so formed and so manipulated that the combback or the like although formed from an ordinary flat sheet of plasticmaterial is left at the end of the process in a permanent form so thatit will retain its shape unless it is heated so as to destroy thecondition of the stresses set up in the material. One of the greatdifficulties which has been met with heretofore in making thisparticular class of goods is that if the rounded ornamentation on theback of the comb or the like is to be on a bent or curved surface, andis made before the comb is curved, the said ornan'ientation is destroyedor at least injured by the curving process which requires the reheatingof the comb to a suflicient degree to permit the molecules to set in newrelations to each other. It is obvious that when so heated it isextremely difficult to retain the molded forms in their original shape.If the process is reversed, also the same condition confronts us becausethe reheating of the comb after it is bent or curved to permit embossingwill destroy the curved form or at least cause it to straighten out to acertain degree. In order to overcome these difliculties and yet producethe article entirely by dies or stamps, this method is carried out ineither one of two ways. In the first case the heated blank may be putina flat condition between two perforated dies the upper one of which hasan intaglio sur- "ace between the perforations thereof, and then a thirdpunching or cutting die may be brought down upon it to perforate it: Thecutting die may be caused to carry the intaglio die down on the surfaceof the blank and emboss the same at the same time that it is curved orbent. in the other procedure the blank is heated and placed in theperforated dies after which the punching dies are brought down upon itand the blank is then removed to the embossing die which has an intagliosurface. The blank is then pressed in the embossing die preferablywithout changing its heat which gives it its desired form. If it iswished to make the article of a curved shape, the embossing dies may becurved to the desired curvature as in the other case.

This is a broad description of the method which may be employed.

This invention will be better understood by a description of themechanism as shown in the accompanying drawings which will now be given.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 it will be seenthat there is a base 10 which, if the article is to be bent or curvedwhile it is otherwise being molded, is provided with a curved die plate11 fixed on the base. The base is provided with a single opening 12 andthe die plate is provided with perforations 13 extending down into thisopening. These perforations are of a tapering form for a purpose whichwill be referred to hereinafter. The blank B is placed on the plate 11.Located above this plate and wholly above the blank when the pressstarts is a second die plate 14-. having perforations 15 similar to theperforations 13 and in fact located exactly above them and of exactlythe same shape. These perforations also may be tapered. hile theperforations 13 are smallest at their upper edges, the perforations 15are smallest at their lower edges. The plate 1st is mounted on verticalguides 16 which are provided with stops 1?, shown in the form of nutsmounted on screw-threads on the guides 16 so that they may be adjusted.The plate 11 is also provided with fixed stops 18 adapted to come intocontact with the ledges-19 on the plate 11 to hold the plate 11 at aproper distance therefrom. Above the plate 1st is located a plungerhaving a head 20 which is provided with a series of projecting cuttingdies or die punches 21. These dies may be fixed to the face of the head20 in any desired way. In the form shown in Fig. 2 they are set into ametal plate which is fixed to the head 20. They are, as will readily beunderstood, of the same size and shape as the perforations 13 and 15 andare intended to project through both of them when the plunger islowered. 1f the article to be operated upon is intended to be curved orbent during the process, the plates 11 and 1% and the plunger head 20are made of such a curved form as will secure the desired result. Thelower surface of the plate 1% is provided with a depressed roundedintaglio embossing surface 2% on the skeleton part thereof; that is, thepart between the perforations 13. This is of such form that what wouldotherwise be the square edges of the blank after perforation, arerounded over by the rounded surfaces of the intaglio design.

The operation of the device when constructed in the form above describedis as follows. With the parts in the position shown in Fig. 1, the combblank B is introduced into the device just above the plate 11 and isbrought up against the gage 25 at the rear of that plate. This locatesthe blank in proper position. The device is preferably used inconnection with a die press or similar machine which is then caused tooperate to bring down the plunger head 20. The first operation of thisis to force the die punches 21 down through the plate M and then throughthe blank and plate 11. This punches out the blank or perforates it andforces the cut-out particles down through the opening 12. The taperedsurfaces of the perforations 13 and 15 will now be understood. Theformer are to provide a clearance for the die punches and the same istrue of the latter and in addition they serve to assist in guiding theminto proper position. The upper plate also serves as a stripper topermit the die punches to be raised without lifting the blank. It willbe seen that the die punches bring the blank down on the surface of theplate 11 in the final form in which it is to be left but. this would notbe sutiicient to permanently bend it and consequently after they havepassed through the blank the punches are not depended upon to hold thelatter in position but the plunger head or plate 22 comes down on top ofthe plate 1 1 and forces the latter down on the blank. As soon as thestops 18 engage the flanges 19, the downward motion of the plunger headof course is arrested and itis retained in this position for severalseconds in order to allow the heated blank to become thoroughly set inits new form between the die plates 11 and 1 1. The thickness of thestops 18 is made such that the embossed or intaglio design 2st of theupper die plate will be impressed into the surface of the blank and asthis design exactly corresponds with the skeleton of the blank and itsedges come down over the edges of the latter and its center curvesgradually upwardly therefrom, it will be seen that the article producedis not only bent into proper curved shape but is brought out of the dieswith curved upper surfaces such as have heretofore been produced in aseparate operation and with a separate heating. In the form shown in theother figures, the operation is very similar and for simplicity it isshown of flat construction which will retain the shape of a flat blankor if the blank is furnished to the dies having a curved or a slightlywarped or irregular surface, it will reduce it to a flat shape. In thiscase the base 30 is surmounted by a plate 31 for holding the blank, thebase having a perforation 32 and the blank holding plate a series ofperforations 33. Above this plate a fixed distance is a second plate 34:having perforations 35 registering with the perforations 33. These twoplates both have smooth surfaces and are fixed with respect to eachother and separated by separating blocks 36. This provides a space 37inside which the blank is placed. The plunger head 38 is provided withdie punches or cutting dies 39 similar to those which have beendescribed above. In this form of the invention the die punches orcutting dies are inserted in the head 38 in an improved manner. Thishead is provided with a depression 4L0 in the face thereof whichconveniently may be of any desired shape but extends in from the outersurface for an appreciable distance. hen the die is to be made, thepunches are individually seton the bottom of this depression and spacedpreferably by means of a templet or the like. In order to fix thempermanently and securely in position, Babbitt or other metal is castaround them in the depression in the die. This unites with theirsurfaces and holds them properly-in position. These dies are made oftempered steel and on account of the fact that the blanks are heatedwhen the die cutting is to be performed, they may be made with flatsurfaces, the cutting edges coming into engagement with the cuttingedges of the tops of the perforations 33 in such a way as properly tocut the blank. The cutting operation is the same as described above inconnection with the first three figures.

Another advantage of this construction is that in case a design has tobe destroyed and it is desired to use part of the cutting blades again,the Babbitt or other metal can be melted out and the punches will beleft in proper condition for reuse.

WVhen the invention is carried out in this manner the blank is removedfrom the dies while it is still Warm and placed in another die 43. Thisis an en'ibossing die having a continuous depressed intaglio surface 44.This die differs from the die plate 1% in that there are not necessarilyany perforations between the intaglio surfaces. The latter, however, arethe same as those shown in Fig. 3. This embossing die is preferably madewith a surrounding groove 45 to separate the embossing surface from therest of the device and is provided with a pair of gages 46 which arenormally pressed above the molding surface by means of springs 47. Thesegages are provided with guides 48 of any desired or convenientconstruction.

it is to be understood that when this process is carried out, the blanksare not necessarily reheated between the two operations, although wherethey are not intended to be curved or bent they can be reheated ifdesired. It will be understood of course that the flat dies are shown inthese figures sim ply for the purpose of illustration and the sameprinciple can be carried out with curved ones somewhat similar to thoseshown in the first three figures.

It will be noticed that the die 43 is shown as provided with aprojecting stippled surface l9 between the intaglio surfaces thereof.This is of no utility when the whole ap-. paratus is used for makingperforated articles but it is merely illustrated to show that theembossing die can be used for the purpose of making articles which arenot perforated. ()ne objection to such articles has been that theornamentation and the back-ground were both equally transparent ortranslucent and consequently at a short distance the ornamentation couldnot be seen. By providing a stippled surface on the die, an article isproduced with a stippled surface between the ornamentations which setsthem off and permits them to be readily seen.

While I have illustrated and described certain preferred forms in whichthe invention may be embodied, I am aware that many modifications may bemade in all the forms illustrated and described without departing fromthe scope of the invention as expressed in the claims. Therefore, I donot wish to be limited to the particular details of construction shown,or of the method described, but

What I do claim is 1. In a device of the character described, thecombination of an embossing die having depressions and projections, adie cooperating therewith, a die plate having perforations correspondingin position and form with the projections on said embossing die, and aset of die punches cooperating with the perforated die plate and havinga form and location corresponding to the perforations thereof.

2. In a device of the character described, the coml'iination of aperforated plate, a plunger having a plurality of cutting dies thereonfitting the perforations in said plate, an embossing die above saidplate having an intaglio surface corresponding to the parts between theperforations in said plate, the sunken portions thereof having roundededges. and a gage on the perforated plate for registering the blank.

8. In a device of the character described, the combination of a curvedperforated plate for holding a blank, a similarly curved perforatedplate spaced therefrom, and a plunger having a plurality of cutting diesthereon fitting said perforations, the second plate being provided onits face toward the first named plate with a curved intaglio embossingsurface between the perforations in said plate, the sunken portionsthereof having rounded edges.

In a device of the character described, the combination of a base, acurved perforated plate fixed thereon, a gage extending upwardly fromsaid plate, a movably mounted curyed perforated plate above the firstnamed plate having intaglio lower surfaces between the perforationsthereof, and a plunger having dies thereon fitting the perforations insaid plates and adapted to perforate a blank on the first named plateand to force the second plate down upon said blank to emboss it.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH W ILCOX. Vitnesses O'rHELLo A. FAY, ALBERT E. FAY.

